Avon to Supply Cooper/F2000 Tyres to Revived US Championship Tyres
Cooper Tire has announced that it will become the exclusive tyre supplier and first sponsor of the newly-revived USF2000 National Championship, which is being re-launched for the 2010 motorsport season as a feeder category to the US-based Indy Racing League. Tyres for the series will be joint-branded COOPER/F2000 and supplied by Avon Tyres Motorsport in the UK. “The USF2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Tires” will launch in the Spring, as a single-seater racing category with races expected to take place on road courses, street tracks and ovals. Cooper will also present the winner of each race’s pole position with $500, which will be called the “Cooper Tires, Don’t Give Up a Thing Award”.
Continue ReadingMaxxis Babes Website Launched
The Maxxis Babes have been cheering on Maxxis-sponsored teams, drivers and riders at the British Superbike Championship and Maxxis British Motocross Championship, drift events and tuning, styling and performance shows this season to the acclaim of motorsport enthusiasts up and down the country. Now they have their own website. “The Maxxis Babes have attracted a lot of attention over the past couple of seasons and are such a popular feature of our promotional activities now that we decided to elevate their profile to help us develop our presence in the styling, performance and tuning market,” says Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin.
Continue ReadingYokohama Tyres and Wheels on TV in New Modding TV Show
A brand-new TV Series on MTV channel Viva, Slips, sees Yokohama tyres selected as part of a tuning package where modified car owners race to win each others' car. Yokohama tyres and a range of aftermarket alloy wheels from the UK distributor, Yokohama HPT Ltd feature in many of the episodes, hosted by Fun Lovin' Criminals front-man Huey Morgan. The premise of Slips is simple; two car owners choose a range of modifications to their everyday cars with the aim of beating the other round a specially-designed racetrack. The winner takes both cars home while the loser walks.
Continue ReadingMichelin Seeking to Boost UK Motorcycle Motorsport at Grass Root Level in 2010
Michelin will look to “re-establish” its two-wheel motorsport involvement in the UK in 2010, with the manufacturer introducing The Michelin Power Cup having already achieved notable success in France, Italy and Spain with similar race series. The series offers motorcycle racers a welcome Power Pack valued at £700, plus unprecedented amounts of track time and prizes including cash and products. Commenting on the new series, Olivier Gros, head of Michelin’s UK motorcycle department says: “This is a very exciting opportunity for us to re-establish Michelin at the grass-roots of motorcycle racing in the UK. We want the Power Cup to stand out as offering the best value for money for racers both in terms of track time and prizes, and based on the calibre of sponsors we are confident that this will be the case.
Continue ReadingYokohama Supplying Tyres to Macau GP for 27th Consecutive Year
Yokohama Rubber’s supply of tyres to the Macau Grand Prix on November 19 to 22 marks the 27th consecutive year in which it has done so. As part of the weekend’s activities in Macau, the company will also support the final race of the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship series and other races. A total of about 2,500 tyres will be supplied.
Continue ReadingYokohama Tire Corporation Sponsors Successful Off-Road Couple
One is looking to wrap up another championship while the other is trying to end the season in the top three. That is what awaits Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored off-roaders Heidi and Cameron Steele as they head to Ensenada, Mexico, November 19-22, for the gruelling, season-ending race at the 42nd annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Known as off-road's "power couple," the San Clemente, California-based Steeles have a lot riding on their Yokohama tires as they prepare for the legendary battle south of the border.
Continue ReadingCooper Backs Toyota Dakar Rally Squad
Cooper Tire Europe will compete in next year’s Dakar Rally after sealing an agreement with Dakar veteran, Spaniard Xavier Foj. Along with co-driver, Argentine Pablo Jaton, Foj will compete in a Toyota Cooper Tire team Land Cruiser KXR built by Jaton’s brother. The rubber of choice for the arduous 9000 kilometre event is to Cooper’s rugged Discoverer STT.
Continue ReadingDunlop to Supply Formula Ford in 2010
The organisers of the Formula Ford series have announced Dunlop’s selection as tyre supplier and title sponsor at next season’s Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain. New slick and wet weather Formula Ford radials are currently under development by Dunlop and will be adopted in Britain in 2010.
Continue ReadingPirelli Casts Doubt on Future WRC Support
Bridgestone has announced its discontinuation of Formula One tyre supply, and it appears Pirelli is less than certain about its future with the World Rally Championship. According to the autosport.com website, Pirelli’s director of motorsport Paul Hembery has admitted there are no guarantees company will bid for a second term as WRC control tyre supplier following the current deal’s expiry at the end of 2010.
Continue ReadingMaxxis Tyres Star in UK and US Drifting
Maxxis has chosen to focus on the popular but still emerging motorsport of drifting in its sporting tyre supply. In US and European drifting this season, the brand has successfully supplied winning drivers in four popular series with the MA-Z1 Drift tyres, also sponsoring the competitors: in the UK and Ireland, Steve Biagioni of Team Japspeed has taken the British Drift Championship, Mark “Buff” Luney has claimed the European Drift Championship (EDC) and Dean Kearney has won the Prodrift Super Series. In the US, Chris Forsberg has won the Formula Drift championship.
Continue ReadingBridgestone “Happy” with MotoGP Tyre Performance following Rossi Sepang Lap Record
In addition to sealing the MotoGP Riders Championship with his third place at the weekend, Valentino Rossi managed an outright lap record in qualifying on Saturday, suggesting to Bridgestone manager of the Motorcycle Tyre Development Department, Tohru Ubukata that tyre performance had been good: “Yes, in general I am happy with the performance of both our available compounds this weekend, but Valentino’s lap was very impressive indeed. The track temperature at the end of the session was 52 degrees Celsius, yet Valentino set his fastest lap on the softer front tyre and the softer rear tyre which shows that even in the high heat they had a suitable level of durability and good overall performance.
Continue ReadingRossi Crowned MotoGP Champion Despite Stoner Dominance in Sepang
Following scorching weather at the weekend, the Malaysian MotoGP was delayed following rainstorms best described as tropical, leading to every rider starting on Bridgestone’s wet tyres. With the track wet throughout the race, making it the only Grand Prix this season to be run in its entirety in wet conditions, Casey Stoner delivered a dominant performance from fourth on the grid to take the lead on the first lap. A masterful display saw the Ducati Team rider take his fourth win of the season. Valentino Rossi and Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo also set a very fast pace as they cut through the field making good use of their wet tyres in the slippery conditions. After closing on Dani Pedrosa in the latter stages of the race, Rossi finished on the final step of the podium to claim the 2009 World Championship title.
Continue ReadingFIA Elects Jean Todt as New President
World motorsport and motoring body the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (or FIA to its friends) has announced Jean Todt as its new president for a four-year term. The FIA General Assembly staged its annual meeting, at which voting was completed, in Paris last week. Todt scooped 135 votes, while the other candidate, Ari Vatanen managed 49. 12 abstained or produced invalid votes. Voting in the General Assembly was made by secret ballot. The votes were counted in private by the FIA legal department, under the supervision of scrutinisers proposed by the two presidential candidates and designated by the General Assembly. The entire voting procedure was supervised by an external Huissier de Justice (French state-appointed public witness).
Continue ReadingBritish Win Seals 2009 WRC Victory for Loeb
Citroën driver Sebastien Loeb has the 2009 FIA World Rally Championship in the bag after victory in the season’s final round, the Rally Great Britain. This win, the 54th in the French driver’s career, enabled Loeb to overtake Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen on the points table and finish the year one point ahead of his Finnish rival. Pirelli, as tyre supplier to the WRC, has praised the 2009 winner and his team for their victory:
Continue ReadingPirelli Travels to UK for Decisive World Rally Stage
Pirelli has brought its Scorpion-brand rally tyres to the gravel roads of the UK for the final decisive stage of the 2009 World Rally Championship, which begins tomorrow. The roads around Cardiff usually present a tough option when the WRC visits, with heavy rainfall, uneven roads, slippery land, mud and insidious special stages during the Rally GB, but this year, thanks to a change in the scheduling, there is a chance that dry, milder conditions may prevail. Therefore, Pirelli states that it will use soft compound Scorpion tyres as part of the key elements in the race to final victory.
Continue Reading
